The Attributes of a Good Polo Pony



Speed, intelligence and agility by themselves, do not make a good polo pony. He must be clever. He must be able to dodge and swerve while going full speed, and to wheel and turn on the proverbial dime. Besides this, he must be able to follow the ball, and instinctively put his rider in a good position to hit it. He must be completely steady and unaffected by the waving mallets and yelling crowds. In addition, and no less important, he must have much courage, and not flinch from contact, sometimes violent, with another mount.







Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Polo Demo


Lots of excitement this week. On Thursday, my son Mark and his friend Jeff, put on a polo demonstration. Initially, it was to be a presentation for the Barre Riding and Driving Club, but Worcestershire Pony Club heard about it, and wanted to attend. Mark worked all week getting the riding ring in top shape. He cleaned his tack, made up a schedule, and even had someone preparing food. Jeff was suppose to arrive, from CT, by 6PM. The demo started at 6:30, and we were trying to stick to a strict schedule due to the outdoor lighting situation--the sun! Needless to say, Jeff didn't arrive until 6:30, so there were a few tense minutes. We had about 25 people in attendance. Mark started-off talking about the type of horse and tack used. He told a little history of polo, and explained some of the rules of the game, and how the game is played. Then he and Jeff mounted-up and showed the different mallet shots, and played a "mock" chukker, as best as can be done with 2 riders. Tequila and Alcott get lots of credit for putting up with such "nonsense". There was lots of interest, questions, and even a couple of inquiries about polo lessons. All in all, a very successful evening. Of course, Mark has now decided he wants to give beginner polo lesons! Guess its time to up our insurance----again!

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